Kircus Pet Names
by JaneyKatherineHummingbird
Summary: My version of a prompt that ended up getting multiple fills! Jim and Carol One-Shot.


Five Nicknames Jim and Carol Gave Each Other And One The Crew Dubbed Them

they were flirting

When the Captain and doctor were early in their pre-relationship flirting, they liked to get a rise out of each other with childish diminutives.

"Behave, Jimmy!" Carol would say as she swatted his hand when he stole fries off her plate.

"Aww, Carrie," Jim groaned with a pout. "You're so cruel to me. Bones is being ridiculous with this diet and I thought I could count on you for an ally in my struggle against the Establishment."

"Sorry, Jimmy. I'm more afraid of him than I am of you." She very slowly ate a fry right in front of him and Jim glowered, then flushed crimson. Carol giggled at the discomfort she caused and slipped him some fries under the table.

they were dating and feeling playful.

Once the inevitable happened and The Captain and Science Officer moved into an official relationship, the nicknames got cornier in proportion to their admittedly sappy wooing.

Spock and Uhura passed them one evening in the rec room playing a game of chess while making eyes at each other and were taken aback when they heard "Your Move, Jimmy dear."

Seconds later, "okey-dokey, Care Bear," came from Jim in a affectionate tone. "Check."

"Ooh. Nice move," Carol exclaimed. "I'm seriously impressed, babe."

Spock's eyebrows hit the ceiling.

"I did not know the captain and Dr. Marcus used such illogical terms of endearment."

Uhura chuckled. "Neither did I, but it's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I'll have to tell Christine about it. She'll love teasing Carol."

they were annoyed with each other

Every relationship has its ups and downs and Jim and Carol were no exception. They could get snippy with each other on occasion. Observers knew they were having a disagreement when they were painfully polite on the bridge and used only formal titles.

If it was off duty, though, things could get...creative...with the insults.

Sulu remembered an evening when he and Chekov were in the gym sparring when they saw Jim and Carol headed for the mats, studiously ignoring each other until they were ready to face off.

"You ready to settle this once and for all, Farmboy?" Carol taunted, hopping in front of Jim. The captain's eyes narrowed. "You better believe it, Queenie." And they were off in a flurry of limbs.

Jim was knocked on his rear more than once, but then, so was Carol. They ended the last round both on the ground, laughing hysterically.

"I guess that means they've made up then, yes?" Chekov asked hopefully.

"I think so," the pilot replied with relief, seeing Jim and Carol now fussing over each other's bruises and apologizing profusely. Great way to work out the tension, he thought.

they were feeling romantic

Jim was really good at sweet talk, and Carol liked it, because only she got to hear it.

The most memorable occasions of their mushy endearments came the day Jim knelt in front of her holding a ring box.

"Carol, sweetheart, will you marry me?" His big blue eyes were boring into hers hopefully and she had no desire to resist their allure, especially when they held such love in them.

"Darling, I'd love to marry you," she responded tearfully and her heart skipped a beat at the size of Jim's smile as he slipped the ring on her finger.

"I like the way that word sounds in your voice," he told her later.

"What word?"

"Darling. There's just something about the accent that makes it so special. Does things to me." He winked at her.

"I'll be sure to say it often then, darling," she grinned back at him.

Stressful Away Missions

Bones always said the two of them had a flair for the melodramatic and he was often right, especially after close shaves.

When Carol was taken captive by a remnant of Section 31, Jim refused to rest until she was safe, pursuing the kidnappers vigilantly and threatening them with all the firepower available. When that didn't work, he led a boarding party and fought through the spy ship until he'd found Carol and broke her out of the cell.

"I knew you'd come, my Yank in shining armor," Carol crooned teasingly as Jim inspected her for injury.

"I couldn't let those creeps experiment on my beautiful British brainiac, now could I?" Jim returned, relieved to find her unharmed.

"Hmm, points for alliteration, Jim, I'm impressed. You've stepped up your game," she responded while rubbing the circulation back into her limbs. "I'll have to think of something equally clever the next time we have to rescue you from an alien dungeon."

"I'll look forward to it-the nickname, not the dungeon, that is."

+1 What The Crew Called Them

Carol and Jim were a famous enough couple to have earned the name smoosh "Kircus" given by the adoring fans. This quickly spread through the crew as the general term for the captain and lieutenant's relationship caught on. Then down the road, as they raised two very lively children, the term changed to "Kircus Circus".

Jim thought it was actually very appropriate because six year old David and one year old Emily usually caused chaos wherever they went, causing their parents much stress.

"They're without a doubt your offspring, Jim," Carol said with a sigh, after their darling duo had been put to bed with only one story due to their escapades that day.

"Yep, I admit to contributing the wild Kirk genetics," Jim said ruefully. "But you can't deny they're the cutest darn rascals on the planet."

"True, but no amount of cuteness will negate the consequences for running naked down the hall screaming like banshees and fighting over toys when they're supposed to be getting their pajamas on." Carol sighed. "David really should be setting a good example for his sister by now, but no."

"Big brothers aren't the greatest examples, unfortunately," Jim told her. "I know from personal experience."

"Oh? Sam wasn't the image of a well-behaved model child? Color me shocked." Carol feigned surprise.

"I know. It's hard to believe," Jim joked, then sighed. "Well, now I know what poor Mom went through trying to raise me. She'll laugh herself sick hearing about their latest antics. I don't know how she did it."

"Well, they've certainly earned their "Kircus Circus nickname," Carol observed. "Good thing we love them."

"Yep." Jim chuckled. "Our own little rascals."


End file.
